KPU Will Issue Circular To Regional KPUs To Comply With Constitutional Court Decisions

Illustration of the General Election Commission (KPU). (Between)

The General Election Commission (KPU) has stated that it will immediately issue a circular so that the KPU ranks at the provincial and district/city levels must comply with the decision of the Constitutional Court (MK) regarding the requirements in the 2024 Pilkada.

Chairman of the Indonesian KPU Mochammad Afifuddin said the KPU ranks would hold the registration stage for candidate pairs on 27-29 August 2024. He also ensured that the KPU in the regions would announce the registration stage which would pay attention to the substance of the Constitutional Court's decision.

"We will do it when suddenly there is a decision that we must follow up on," said Afifuddin at the Indonesian KPU Building, Jakarta, Friday, August 23, which was confiscated by Antara.

He said that his party had taken steps to follow up on the two Constitutional Court decisions to be outlined in the amendment to KPU Regulation (PKPU) Number 8 of 2024 concerning Pilkada. The changes, according to him, will be carried out in accordance with the laws and regulations mechanism.

"The KPU seeks to make changes to PKPU Number 8 of 2024 and technical guidelines in following up on the Constitutional Court's decision issued before the registration of the candidate pair," he said.

Meanwhile, KPU RI Commissioner August Mellaz said that his party would immediately hold a meeting with Commission II of the DPR RI to discuss the changes to the PKPU by following the Constitutional Court's decision.

"Today is almost the same time the Chairman of Commission II of the DPR RI conveyed developments, everything is in line with what the KPU will do," said August.

In considering Decision Number 70/PUU-XXII/2024, the Constitutional Court emphasized that the age requirements for regional head candidates as regulated in Article 7 paragraph (2) letter e of the Pilkada Law must be calculated from the time the candidate pair is determined, not when the candidate pair is appointed as regional head.

Then, Decision Number 60/PUU-XXII/2024 changes the threshold for nomination of regional heads. The Constitutional Court canceled Article 40 paragraph (3) of the Pilkada Law and declared Article 40 paragraph (1) of the conditional unconstitutional Pilkada Law.

Through this decision, the Constitutional Court stated that political parties that do not get seats in the DPRD can nominate pairs of candidates for regional heads. Calculation of the requirements to propose a candidate pair is only based on the results of the valid votes in the election in the area concerned, which ranges from 6.5 to 10 percent.